LAND RESEARCH
United States
Class and Website
The Class Is Given At The Los Angeles Regional Family History Center
(LARFHC) And Elsewhere By Instructor
Jon Schweitzer
This is a Website companion to the class.
Website made 18 March 2004 by Jon Schweitzer
Revised 3 February 2007
Consult my "LAND RESEARCH - UNITED STATES", Red 3-Ring Notebook for additional useful information. The Notebook is located next to the entrance to the Microfilm Room in the Los Angeles Regional Family History Center (LARFHC) in alphabetical order. A copy of the
class handout, copies of all the overhead transparencies shown in this class and the copies of all pages from the selected sections of the Websites are in the above Notebook.
See a complete list of my 75 Red 3-Ring Self-Help Notebooks at http://www.larfhc.org/notebooks.htm
The official website for the LARFHC is at http://www.larfhc.org/
The unofficial website for the LARFHC is at http://members2.1stnetusa.com/~a/lafhc/
Books listed below are in the LARFHC.
Main Topics
1. Introduction To Class
2. Reference Resources in the LARFHC
3. Starting Your Research
4. Grantee and Grantor Indexes
5. Researching Deeds
6. State Land States versus Public Land States
7. Homestead Act of 1862
8. Federal Land Records
9. State Land Records
10. Resources for Local Land Records
11. Military Bounty Land
12. Land Survey Systems
13. Other Internet Land Resources
14. Definitions and terminology used in land records
15. Land Ownership Maps
16. Other Maps
1. Introduction To Class
The reasons for finding and using land records.
Do the necessary research to establish where your ancestors lived.
Use federal and state censuses and other records to determine their locations.
Use military records to determine if your ancestors were in the military before 1858.
See a very good list of locators to research at http://interoz.com/lubbock/ar02.htm
T1= overhead transparency no. 1.
2. Reference Resources in the LARFHC
"Land Research - United States" - Red 3-Ring Notebook next to the entrance to the Microfilm Room
"Land and Property Research in the United States" 973 R27h - Hard cover book on the open shelves
"National Archives" Microfilm Inventory and Location by Subject and Number" - Red 3-Ring Notebook next to the entrance to the Microfilm Room
"Bureau of Land Management Research" - Red 3-Ring Notebook next to the entrance to the Microfilm Room
3. Starting Your Research
Use the Family History Library Catalog (FHLC) on the Internet to find the land records that have been microfilmed for your locations. The FHLC is at http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp
Print out the FHLC lists of land records on microfilms.
Check to see if this Los Angeles Regional Family History Center (LARFHC) has the land records on microfilm.
Use the LARFHC microfilm/microfiche search at http://www.larfhc.org/microsearch.html to determine if they are at the LARFHC.
If the FHLC microfilms that you require are not here at LARFHC, you may order them at the LARFHC Sales Desk.
Look at my "Genealogy Research at the Los Angeles Family History Center" website at http://members2.1stnetusa.com/~a/lafhc/ and my "National Archives Research by Subject at the LARFHC" link www.larfhc.org/natarcgroup.html website and "National Archives Records by Number" at the LARFHC http://www.larfhc.org/natarcnum.html website.
See the floor plans of the LARFHC at http://www.larfhc.org/microfloorplan.htm and http://www.larfhc.org/mainfloorplan.html
4. Grantee and Grantor Indexes
Grantee Indexes
Names are frequently misspelled in the indexes. Work up a list of all possible variations and misspellings of both the given name and the surname.
Use "Foreign Versions of English Names." (929.4 Un3f) and "Name Your Baby" (Ref 929.44 Asr) at the LARFHC.
Enter the surnames into the Ancestral File to find some of the variations.
Consult the book at the LARFHC, "A Practical Guide to the MISTEAKS Made in Census Indexes", Richard H. Saldana, 1987, (973 X2pra - Census Index Area), pages 31 and 32 for other interpretations of each letter in a surname. Use this book to develop additional variations.
Persons acquired land most of the time from private individuals or the railroad. The buyers should be listed in a Grantee (the person or business buying the land) Index.
Start with the Grantee Index or the Index to Real Estate Conveyances shortly before they first moved to the location.
If you find the person (buyer) in the Grantee Index or the Index to Real Estate Conveyances, you can then find or order the microfilmed deeds that are listed in the indexes.
Grantor Indexes
The Sellers should be listed in the Grantor (the person or business selling the land) Index.
Look for all the names of the children, widow and remarried widow with remarried surname that would have been in the probate records as possible sellers of the land.
5. Researching Deeds
See the website http://www.dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/deeds.html
Learn more about researching deeds at http://users.rcn.com/deeds/deeds.htm
6. State Land States versus Public Land States
See a good website that has all of the locations of the land patent/warrant in the United States at
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~haas/learningcenter/patentlocations.html
7. Homestead Act of 1862
These are the best land records for genealogical information. The 2nd most common place to obtain land was from the federal government using the Homestead Act of 1862.
See the website at http://users.rcn.com/deeds/homestead.htm
Final Proof Sample - http://members2.1stnetusa.com/~a/lafhc/landresclass/record1.html T2
Certificate of Naturalization Sample - http://members2.1stnetusa.com/~a/lafhc/landresclass/record2.html T3
Adjutant General's Office (Military Service) Sample - http://members2.1stnetusa.com/~a/lafhc/landresclass/record3.html T4
Military Service Sample - http://members2.1stnetusa.com/~a/lafhc/landresclass/record4.html T5
8. Federal Land Records
Warrant - an order allowing survey of the land
Survey - shows boundaries and description of the property
Patent - official title to property and is the first and only patent from the government to the private sector.
Search the online official federal patent record site at http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/ This site has not worked for months! I don't know what the problem is. Legal issue? If you know, please email me. T6
Use this nice site that lists each state and "Where to Obtain Land Patents" http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~haas/learningcenter/patentlocations.html
Obtain a copy of the land patent/warrant in the land entry case file by using the National Archive Order Form NATF 84. Obtain this free form NATF 84 in the Sales Area.
Lands that were initially controlled and dispersed by the United States are called federal lands. The 30 states that contain such lands: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida,
Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah,
Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Applications to the U.S. Government for re-ownership of land acquired by the claimant while living under a foreign government is indexed in "List of Private Claims" 973 R2us, 3 volumes.
See Federal Land Series (land patents), 4 vols. (incomplete series), 973 R23s.
9. State Land Records
Use the FHLC to determine what records have been microformed for your research location.
Look at the Illinois land tract records on microfiche at the LARFHC starting at 6016848 in microfiche cabinet 1 and drawer 3.
The lands initially controlled and dispersed by the state governments are called State Lands. Subsequent transactions were considered to be individual or private lands. The 20 State Land states are
the following: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.
Look in "Land and Property Research in the United States" 973 R27h book under State Lands and the state for the general land information and the name and address for the state land repository.
10. Resources for Local Land Records
Use the FHLC to determine what records have been microformed for your research location.
Find local county websites that might have resources.
Use the websites http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ and http://usgenweb.com/ and http://www.google.com/ to find the local websites. T7
11. Military Bounty Land
These are the 2nd best land records for genealogical information. The federal government gave bounty land as an incentive to join the military and partial compensation from about 1776 to 1858. The
state and federal governments usually had an abundance of land but very little money.
In addition to federal bounty land warrants, 8 states produced their own bounty-land warrants. They were: Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and
Virginia. See the website at http://users.arn.net/~billco/uslpr4.htm
In the LARFHC Microfilm Room see the National Archives films M-804 Revolutionary War Bounty Land
Warrants and M-848 War of 1812 Bounty Land Warrants.
A War of 1812 Bounty Land Warrants website is at http://users.rcn.com/deeds/bounty.htm
Obtain a copy of the bounty land warrant by using the National Archive Order Form NATF 85. Obtain this free form NATF 85 in the Sales Area of the LARFHC.
Bounty land awarded by state governments may be found in the "Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants"
973 R2bo, 2 volumes.
12. Land Survey Systems
The Metes and Bounds System was generally used in the southern states and states with State Lands.
This system uses directions and distances from some physical marker.
See the website at http://www.outfitters.com/genealogy/land/metesbounds.html
The Federal Township and Range System is made up of nice and neat rectangular land surveys.
See the web site at http://www.outfitters.com/genealogy/land/twprangemap.html T8
Plotting deed locations for determining where the land was located.
See the website at http://members.tripod.com/~LeeHouse/platTool.htm
13. Other Internet Land Resources
National Archives - http://www.archives.gov/publications/general-info-leaflets/67.html
Land Records - http://www.wvc.edu/library/Research/gen/RBGenLand.html
and http://users.rcn.com/deeds/sites.htm
and http://users.rcn.com/deeds/landref.htm
Land Records, Deeds, Homesteads, Etc. - http://www.cyndislist.com/land.htm
Researching your House History - Look at the 2 following websites for the U.S. lists of resources to research a property. The lists for the U.S. includes Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Bird's Eye Views, Plat Maps and many more at http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/househistorychecklist.pdf and http://www.mnhs.org/localhistory/bldghistory/bldghistory.htm and in the U.K. see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/househistory/
14. Definitions and terminology used in land record
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~haas/learningcenter/landrecordterms.html
15. Land Ownership Maps
Plat maps may be found at city Building or Planning Departments and county historical societies.
See an example at http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiburnet/platbook/38n17w.htm T9
16. Other Maps
Cyndi's List Maps, Gazetteers, 8, http://www.cyndislist.com/maps.htm
Maps On Other Web Sites, 3, http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/map_sites/map_sites.html
Map Machine: Resources, 5, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/maps/csites/index.html
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